SIOUX FALLS – Brookings’ Eddie Miller, Jacob Schoon and Kesmond Willert each went 2-0 to open the Class A State Wrestling Tournament on Friday at the PREMIER Center.

Miller, the defending champion at 285 pounds, pinned Sturgis’ Tice McVay in 43 seconds in the first round. He then pulled out a 2-1 tiebreaker-1 victory versus Pierre’s Ty Paulsen in the quarterfinals.

Miller faces Watertown’s Dane Stahl in the semifinals this morning.

Miller, a senior, placed at the state tourney for the fourth consecutive season.

At 170, Schoon controlled his first-round match, beating Mitchell’s Cade Carpenter via a 15-0 technical fall in a bout that lasted 2:44. He then toppled Sturgis’ Jake Sailer 4-1 in the quarters.

Schoon, the runner-up at 160 a year ago, takes on Rapid City Stevens’ Dante Colicheski in the semis today.

The sophomore earned a spot on the podium for the third straight year.

Willert, a senior wrestling in the 152-pound weight class, won by fall in 57 seconds against Yankton’s Donovan Bain in the opening round. He dropped Rapid City Central’s Bridger Kraye 3-1 in the quarterfinals.

Willert wrestles Sioux Falls Roosevelt’s Carter Lohr, who has a 36-0 record, for a spot in the finals today.

Three other Bobcats – Tate Coon (160 pounds), Sam Lehman (126) and Logan Hadley (182) – guaranteed themselves top-eight finishes by going 2-1 on Day 1.

Coon, who was runner-up at 152 as a junior, opened with a win by fall in 3:12 over Pierre’s Garrett Leesman. After dropping a 4-2 quarterfinal to West Central’s Tristen Boeckholt, he picked up a 3-1 sudden victory against Sioux Falls Washington’s Tupak Kpeayeh in the consolation second round.

Lehman bounced back from a 3-1 overtime loss to Harrisburg’s Jacob Hanssen in the first round with a 4-1 decision over Vermillion’s Ryne Whisler and a 3-1 sudden victory versus Brandon Valley’s Kobi Terpstra in the consolation bracket.

Hadley was pinned by Aberdeen Central’s Braiden Nelson in 2:32 in the first round. He then put Spearfish’s Zailin Irion on his back in 2:40 and toppled Roosevelt’s Joey Otta 4-3 in consolation action to stay alive.

Hadley, a three-time state tourney qualifier, and Lehman are both placewinners for the first time.

Connor Klinkhammer (106 pounds), Carson Klinkhammer (120), Cole Eidem (195) and Gus Miller (220) were each eliminated following 1-2 days.

Connor Klinkhammer was pinned by Stevens’ Cody Stockman in 5:46 in the first round but rebounded to beat West Central’s Carter Heumiller 9-2 in the first round of consolation action. He fell 3-1 to Sioux Falls Roosevelt’s Riley Hollingshead after that.

Carson Klinkhammer dropped a 6-0 decision to Chamberlain’s Collin Powell to open the day. He edged Aberdeen Central’s Spencer Titus 5-4 in a consolation matchup but then fell 2-0 to Vermillion’s Jacob Husby.

Eidem dropped an 11-2 major decision to Harrisburg’s Logan Warzecha in the first round. He followed with a major decision of his own, 10-1 over Huron’s Jacob Rieger, but was beat out 10-0 by major decision by Aberdeen Central’s Jake Flakus.

Miller was pinned by Huron’s Marshal Simons in 1:58 in the first round but then won by fall in 4:31 against West Central’s Kyle Becker. Harrisburg’s Sam Detert pinned Miller in 4:57 in a consolation second-round bout.

Jason Nixon (113 pounds) went 0-2, getting pinned by Vermillion’s Lucas Anglin in 1:50 and Aberdeen Central’s Daymon Steuck in 4:57.

The Bobcats are open at 132, 138 and 145.

Pierre leads the team standings with 84.5 points. Sturgis is second at 73, followed by Rapid City Stevens (72) in third, Aberdeen Central (70.5) in fourth, Rapid City Central (68.5) in fifth and Watertown (58.5) in sixth.

Brookings sits in seventh at 47.5.